Garbage Pickup

By Emily Opilo, Of The Morning Call and By Emily Opilo, Of The Morning Call | August 1, 2014

Surveyed by neighborhood development officials, what was the No. 1 problem that people had with center city Allentown? Nope, not crime. Think stink. Take a walk through Allentown's business districts on a Friday night and you'll find a cornucopia of obnoxious odors. Follow your nose to the bags of trash that scatter the sidewalks waiting for garbage trucks to collect them. Allentown's Friday night trash pickup has long been the scourge of downtown business advocates who argue that the city looks unkempt on weekend nights - the very nights when the city is trying to attract visitors.

To the Editor: In its May 6 editorial about Allentown mayoral candidates, The Morning Call referred to the "insurmountable problems" of having public employees perform garbage collection in Allentown. Government employees have helped put men on the moon, fought and won world wars, built the interstate highway system, and provided water, sewer, parks, streets, fire fighters and police, and a host of other services. Why would having city employees pick up the garbage be "insurmountable?"

Whitehall Township is now back to its regular garbage collection schedule following Hurricane Sandy. This week, residents may dispose up to four four-foot long tree limbs either tied or in containers on their trash collection day. Branches may also be dropped off at the Cameron Tract on Eberhart Road from 7-11 a.m. or noon-2:30 p.m.

Garbage - how much it will cost to collect it, and how the disposal problem should be solved - was the subject of Coplay Borough Council action last night. Council officially established the increased pickup rates that were used to balance the 1985 budget for garbage pickup. The new rates are $110 for most residents, up $40 from this year, and $70 for senior citizens, up $20. Small businesses that have their trash collected by the borough will see their rates increase by 30 percent.

Palmerton residents will pay more in property taxes and for garbage pickup as part of the new 2005 budget adopted Thursday. Borough Council agreed to increase the property tax rate by 1 mill, to 7.77 mills. That will cost the owner of a home assessed at $45,000 an additional $45 per year, or a total of $350. Garbage pickup rates also were increased, from $14 to $22 per month, raising the quarterly residential bill from $42 to $66. The borough is in the final year of a three-year contract with Tamaqua Transfer and sought bids on a new contract.

Residents of Wilson Borough can pay for sewer and garbage pickup services with a credit card by visiting the borough's website. According to the site, there is a fee for paying online. For details, go to the borough's website, http://wilsonborough.org .

To the Editor: Re: Harry Bisco letter (July 26) on garbage pickup. Since the same sections of the city are deprived of garbage pickup for most of the holidays, why not reduce their garbage fee and raise the rates for the lucky sections who aren't given the privilege of keeping their garbage a whole week? You know, it does not seem fair to those who have to hold their garbage a full week, especially in summer (phew), to be charged the same as the elite sections of town. Before the fee we had garbage collection three times a week.

Most area offices, businesses and organizations will be closed Tuesday, Independence Day. The Morning Call will be published on Tuesday. The following schedule will be in effect: - Government offices - closed tomorrow. - Postal Service - No regular delivery service. Special delivery and express mail will be delivered. - LANTA - Monday will follow Saturday's schedule with weekday fares; no service Tuesday. - Garbage - Hellertown: no garbage pickup; Tuesday's route will be collected with Wednesday's regular route.

Because of the Labor Day holiday, the following garbage collection schedule will be observed in Easton: Sept. 5, no garbage pickup. Sept. 6, from 9th to 12th Street, all areas north and south of Northampton Street, excluding N. 12th Street; from 12th to 15th Street, all areas south of Northampton Street and both sides of Northampton Street itself. Sept. 7, from Front to 9th Street, including both sides of 9th Street. Sept. 8, from 12th to 15th streets, all areas north of Northampton Street, including N. 12th, Lynn, Winter and Buttonwood streets, Bushkill Drive and all of College Hill.

Residents of Wilson Borough can pay for sewer and garbage pickup services with a credit card by visiting the borough's website. According to the site, there is a fee for paying online. For details, go to the borough's website, http://wilsonborough.org .

By Ashley Kosciolek Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | May 15, 2008

Lansford Borough Council members Wednesday said problems with the borough's trash and recycling haulers -- about whom several residents complained -- will be addressed soon in a face-to-face meeting with company officials. Councilman Christopher Ondrus raised the issue during his report of the borough's Public Works Committee, which he heads. "We're paying for a service, and we're not receiving it," said Councilman Tommy Vadyak, who said that J.P. Mascaro and Sons of Allentown -- the borough's garbage collector -- has repeatedly failed to pick up trash on several streets for as many as three consecutive weeks.

By Charles Malinchak Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | August 9, 2007

A revision to a countywide trash management law raised questions in Bedminster Township about whether the mandated change would force services on customers and raise garbage collection rates. The revision that was approved by the township supervisors Wednesday night was contained in the Bucks County Municipal Waste Management Plan. Township Manager Peter Braun said the plan is actually one handed down to the county through the state requiring adoption by all municipalities in the state.

By Sarah Fulton Special to The Morning Call - Freelance | July 25, 2006

Lehighton Borough Council urged the Police Department on Monday to conduct more foot patrols of the downtown after an outbreak of violence over the weekend. A passing motorist was nearly struck by a stray bullet fired by an unknown person outside Bankers Bar on N. First Street sometime over the weekend, borough officials said. Police had no further details to offer Monday evening. Council Vice President Scott Rehrig said police should walk the downtown regularly. Earl Schneider, who lives on N. First Street and is involved with the borough's Chamber of Commerce, asked if the police really know what is going on in downtown bars.

While it's not the same as locking people in stocks or putting a scarlet "A" on their chests, Pen Argyl uses an old-fashioned method to get people to pay their garbage bills: public embarrassment. Last month, as it had in 2003 and 2004, the borough published the names and addresses of 12 people with overdue bills in the Blue Valley Times, a weekly newspaper distributed in the Slate Belt. But this time is somewhat different. Once all of the people named in the ad settle their debts, Pen Argyl officials won't have to worry about making sure residents pay for trash service.

Palmerton residents will pay more in property taxes and for garbage pickup as part of the new 2005 budget adopted Thursday. Borough Council agreed to increase the property tax rate by 1 mill, to 7.77 mills. That will cost the owner of a home assessed at $45,000 an additional $45 per year, or a total of $350. Garbage pickup rates also were increased, from $14 to $22 per month, raising the quarterly residential bill from $42 to $66. The borough is in the final year of a three-year contract with Tamaqua Transfer and sought bids on a new contract.

Taxpayers in Stockertown may face a 186 percent tax increase next year, an increase Borough Council members maintain is necessary to keep services at current levels. Sharp jumps in the cost of insurance and garbage pickup were cited as the main reasons for the proposal to increase Stockertown's property tax from the current 7 mills to 20 mills. Under the budget, the owner of a borough home assessed at $10,000 would see taxes rise from $70 to $200. Council is to vote on the $172,033 spending plan at its Dec. 7 meeting.

If there's no pork and sauerkraut on the menu of a Pennsylvania German on New Year's Day, this is bad. The Pennsylvania German superstition and others will be presented and explained in the Main House at the Michael Heller Homestead on Friedensville Road in Lower Saucon at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 9. The event is free and open to the public. The speaker, Paul Kunkel, a retired engineer and a Pennsylvania German, is also president of the advisory board of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Center in Kutztown.

As reported on Sept. 21, I was one of the Hellertown residents who attended a town meeting about the flooding. One of the biggest questions was about what to do with the extra garbage residents would have as a result of the flooding. Council did not have any answers. We were told that there would be some communication to residents about their garbage concerns. Apparently, the communication was in the form of a bill. We requested an extra Dumpster or container so my neighbors and I could dump our damaged items.

For the second time in two weeks, Allentown has suspended the Americus Centre Hotel's health license in a new get-tough policy by City Hall. The city pulled the license Wednesday because the hotel missed a June deadline for paying on its water and sewer bill, which is more than $100,000 behind. Suspension of the license does not affect the residential or commercial tenants in the 14-story building, including Katie Romano's Cafe, which has its own health license. But it means the Americus cannot serve food from the hotel kitchen or operate its cocktail lounge, Spin 541. Neither the property's owner, Mark Mendelson, nor other hotel officials could be reached.